


why?

by makeshiftvoiid



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Colosseum of Fools (Hollow Knight), Gen, Heavy Angst, Hollow Knight Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:28:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27051187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makeshiftvoiid/pseuds/makeshiftvoiid
Summary: Tiso watches the Knight fight a Brooding Mawlek.
Relationships: The Knight & Tiso (Hollow Knight)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 38





	why?

**Author's Note:**

> idk how accurate this is bc i haven't gotten to tiso's death in the game........i read his wiki bc im a dumbass and i read that he died and then i saw a video of him getting crushed (even though the wiki said he died off screen but whatever ig)

Everything’s dark.

The light gradually comes back, and Tiso gasps for air, his chest aching the entire time. He turns his head as much as he can, searching for the source of all the yelling and cheering. He’s being watched by a stadium packed with other bugs. Or maybe they were watching the Knight fight the Brooding Mawlek shuffling about in front of him. He mentally scoffs to himself, feeling foolish for thinking of the vessel as feeble when they first met.

He spots his shield on the other side of the arena and tries to move his arms. A pang shoots through his bones. Tiso hisses and freezes, deciding that it might be best to stay where he is. Watching lava shoot from the Mawlek’s mouth, the ant’s memories slowly start to come back to him. He was going to fight the Knight, then he heard the Mawlek coming and he just… he just held up his shield. He panicked, definitely not because he was scared, and he held up his shield like that would help at all. He could’ve gotten out of the way. He could’ve avoided getting injured this badly. He could’ve prevented this.

This was his fault.

Tiso was going to die here, in front of thousands of bugs. They probably laughed at how stupid he acted. They were probably going to talk about him for months. “Remember when that ant thought he’d survive a crush from a Mawlek with his shield?” they’d say. What a dumbass.”

His eyelids are growing heavy and his chest is hurting more and more by the second. If he wasn’t scared before, he’s certainly scared now. He’s never been in danger like this before. He’s always been strong, even when he wasn’t experienced in fighting. Nothing’s ever caught him off guard like that. Nothing’s ever beaten him like that. Tiso didn’t want to die, especially not to such a weak creature. He just wanted a challenge. He just wanted to prove that he was better than everyone. His fingers twitch as warm tears sting his eyes and roll down his face.

With one last slash from the Knight’s coiled nail, the Mawlek explodes into bits of orange slime. Some of it lands on Tiso’s chest, and he almost recoils in disgust before remembering how painful it was to move. His vision’s getting fuzzy and it’s getting harder to breathe and oh, god, please no. He just lays there, motionless, crying for what feels like an eternity. At some point, he sees the smaller insect standing over him. The Knight signs something, but Tiso can’t tell what it is. He’s too busy silently praying to whatever might be listening. All he wants is to keep going. This isn’t fair. This isn’t fair, this isn’t fair, this isn’t-

…

The Knight’s sitting with him now. He’s gazing down at him with a (somehow) soft expression. It’s like his eyes are piercing into Tiso’s soul. His small hand reaches out and pats the ant’s head. The tears come faster and he feels embarrassed having to be comforted like this. “Why me?” He breathes. “Why did this have to happen to me?” The Knight only responds with another pat. Tiso’s body relaxes on its own and he doesn’t even notice his eyes closing.


End file.
